


It Lives In The Woods

by Bloodyloveletters



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: AU, Alternative First Meeting, M/M, demon shane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 02:24:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15920960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloodyloveletters/pseuds/Bloodyloveletters
Summary: Ryan goes demon hunting





	It Lives In The Woods

Andrew had laughed when he suggested it; Steven had gone a little pale but also laughed along nervously. But Ryan was deadly serious.

“It lives in the woods,” Ryan looked earnestly at the men sitting on the other side of the booth, his hands resting on the slightly sticky tabletop, “and we're going to find it,”

“What?” Andrew chuckled, “You want to do what?”

“To go cross Alton Bridge and try to contact the demon who possesses it.”

“In the woods? At night?!” Steven looked distinctly unsettled by the suggestion and looked quickly between the two of them for “Yeah, I want to see if we can communicate with it,”

“For you birthday?” Andrew still sounded incredulous

 

Luckily, rain wasn’t forecast for Monday night and when they met in the car park, the woods felt pleasantly cool after a humid day. They were all nervous, but honestly, mostly just excited. Ryan couldn’t help but grin at the sight of the other two men, sweeping flashlights over the uneven track in front of them.

“Ready?” Ryan said as they approached, aiming the question mostly at Steven who was definitely the more wide-eyed of the two.

“Yeah-” Steven swallowed before continuing- “this way right?”

And with that, they walked resolutely down the path that led to Alton Bridge. 

 

He shouldn’t have stormed off like that. Considering where they were, he shouldn’t have risked losing the others, and certainly not by barrelling angrily through the undergrowth looking for a fucking haunted bridge. But when they took a wrong turn and ending up basically back where they started, Andrew’s monotone suggestions that would’ve just led to the same mistake they made the first time set his teeth on edge. They hadn’t liked his plan, to go straight through the forest and catch the path half way. But he didn’t listen to him and walked off assuming they’d follow. He wasn’t sure if they did or not but now he’d lost sight of them and his heart began to pick up the pace, realising he’d have no one to help him if he got into trouble. He swallowed thickly and as the anger pulsing behind his eyeballs dissipated, it was filled by ice-cold panic.

 

Ryan looked turned on the spot hopelessly. He’d found a clearing but not one he’d ever seen before, so it was little comfort. Every direction looked the same, trees equally dense and he’d spun round so many times he couldn’t even remember the direction he’d just come from. His heart beat even more rapidly as he tried desperately to avoid thinking about the eerie feeling this forest was giving him. The muscles in his shoulders and arms seemed to ache with the desire to move and his eyes watered, restless energy coiling all over his body. He blinked a few times and stretched his shoulders but this did nothing to dispel the feeling. Against his better judgement, his footsteps carried him forward into the centre of the clearing.

 

A warm laugh rang out over the noise of Ryan’s heavy breathing. He turned fast, flashing his torchlight between the trees, half expecting to see Steven and Andrew appearing out of the empty spaces but half knowing that the laugh belonged to neither of them. The trees looked closer than before with each rotation he made in search of the source of the noise. But the feeling that turned in his joints told him what had made it. He didn’t even jump when he felt the warm pressure of a hand on his shoulder - it was as if somewhere in the hollows of his chest he’d been expecting it. He turned slowly, looking at the human-like hand and long fingers that clasped his shoulder.

“You’re calmer than the others,” a voice practically purred in Ryan’s ear. That did it, he turned like a whip and was face to face with what could only be a demon. It had a human body, mostly, but at the top of his head and the tips of his fingers and corners of his elbows seemed to fade into the darkness around it more gradually than something solid would’ve. And it was a man, so to speak, with sharp features and a sly smile. The deep panic he’d felt a moment ago was still screaming at him to run or fight, but now it felt like he’d put his head under the water because the shouted felt distorted and unimportant somehow.

“Is it really you?” is all Ryan could seem to come up with to say.

“So you came here looking for me then? Plenty do, but I don't normally show myself.” He took a step closer to Ryan, who just about had the presence of mind to step back.

“Shane Madej,” he added as he extended a hand.

Running mostly on autopilot, Ryan shook it and replied, “I'm Ryan.”

 

Steven’s eyes flicked up as he sensed movement, but it was just Andrew checking his watch yet again. The incessant clock-watching only made his nerves twist into a tighter knot. He’d known this was a bad idea. And now Ryan had been missing for a full 20 minutes and they’d gone back to the car rather than get lost themselves looking for him, hoping he’d make it back there once he’d realised they’d become separated. But now Andrew’s nervous fidgeting, in contrast to his usual stillness, made Steven want to shake him.

 

Ryan's breathing finally started to slow as the demon in front of him smiled warmly. It was an unexpected quality on a demon, warmth, but it suited him.  
“This isn't real,” Ryan blinked rapidly, expecting flicker and disappear with each look away, but he remained.

“Afraid it is,” Shane said as he placed a hand against Ryan's arm, “I'm really here,”

“I came here to communicate with you, and now I'm communicating with some hallucination, that must be it,” Ryan was still shaking his head over and over, expecting Shane to just cease to exist.

“You're lucky enough to have the real thing.What did you want to ask?” His eyebrow flicked up as he spoke and it made Ryan feel suddenly on edge again, so he looked away as he spoke.

“Why you're here? What you are? Uh I don't really know... I didn't think we'd actually find you, or that you'd be,” Ryan paused, glancing to check that Shane was definitely still there because “so conversational.”

“Well ask away, baby,”

 

“Are you flirting with me?” Ryan asked eventually after considerable time walking through the forest. The trees seem to clear a path for Shane but he never actually saw one move.

“Why would you say that?” Shane looked away, the first time he hadn't given Ryan intense eye contact while they'd spoken.

“Because when I asked, that was the first time you stopped smirking at me since you literally appeared out of the air and told me I was special,” Ryan laughed as Shane seemed on the back foot for the first time since they'd met.

“No, I didn't say you were special, just that I don't usually appear to people,” he sounded defensive and that was music to Ryan's ears.

“It was implied, dude” Ryan grinned to himself.

“You've got very cosy for somehow who was about to shit themselves at the very sight of me ten minutes ago,” he turned to face Ryan fully now, jabbing a finger into his chest. It wasn't very threatening for a move for a demonic entity and Ryan squared up, meeting Shane's gaze.

“Well you're not that scary, really, especially now I know you're trying to jump my bones,” Ryan smirked himself now, heat rising in his neck in a way he'd recognise had been paying attention. 

“You should be scared of me,” Shane’s voice dropped an octave as he drew closer to Ryan, and the atmosphere turned tense but not threatening. Ryan only took his gaze away from Shane's mouth when his eyes turned suddenly black. The feeling that flooded through Ryan at that definitely wasn't fear. His common sense, which had been trying to wade through running water, finally made contact and he hurriedly backed off and started pacing down the path again.

“Need to get back to the car, and find Steven and Andrew like I said, come on let's go,

 

The brisk walk in the rapidly cooling air did Ryan a lot of job and he had come to his sense about this demon and its behaviour by the time he saw the car park ahead. He shouted to Steven and Andrew, who seemed to shrink with relief at the sight of him.

“We were so worried,” Steven said as he grabbed him for a hug.

“Glad you're safe, man,” Andrew gave him a tired smile.

Ryan spun round now, aware that he should probably explain the strange man who'd appeared with him, but Shane was not behind him.

“You didn't see anyone else in the woods tonight, did you?” Ryan asked the other two carefully. 

“No, just us, why? Did you see something?” Andrew looked somewhere between inquisitive and worried.

But Ryan quickly dismissed it, waving his hand vaguely and saying, “Probably nothing. Shall we go home?”

The ride back into town was quiet.

 

The shadowy figure Ryan could see sat on the lawn as he looked out of his bedroom window was unusual but not altogether surprising. He pushed the window up.

“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?” Ryan said as loudly as he dared, prompting Shane to turn. 

“I got it right then, old line that,” Shane smiled weakly.

“Yeah you might've heard it before,” Ryan leant fully out the window now, folding his arms and resting on the sill. Shane stood and faced him.

“Heard it on the opening night actually, me and Shakespeare were pals… some might say lovers,” His voice took on the tone of some great storyteller but Ryan wasn't convinced.

“You and Shakespeare were not lovers,” Ryan grinned and shook his head as he spoke.

“No you're right, he wanted me but I was sworn to Queen Elizabeth at the time,” Shane's voice danced mischievously and no doubt his eyes would do the same if Ryan could see them clearly.

“Yeah, whatever you say,” pausing for only a second before adding, “are you coming in?” 

Ryan could make out his wide smile despite the darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> From the prompt
> 
> "Do number 34 from the list "it lives in the woods" where Ryan goes out in the woods with some friends to look for proof of the rumored demon (Shane) but gets separated and lost, Shane appearing to the terrified Ryan only to flirt and make Bigfoot jokes before helping him out of the forest"
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](sunshinebergara.tumblr.com)


End file.
